Although Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and UCLA have once again have secured their high-ranking places on the United States' Top Architecture Schools for 2018 (as compiled by Architectural Record based on surveys conducted by DesignIntelligence), the University of Southern California has made significant in-roads on the list. For the first time, USC placed in the top 10 at number five for its undergraduate programs, and number nine for its graduate programs. The surprises don't stop there. According to the survey, a higher percentage than ever of students (15%) aren't planning to take a traditional job at a private practice after they graduate, but rather are aiming to work for non-architectural corporations such as Google.

UCLA. Image: Study Abroad SWE via Flickr

Why is this? It seems the financial sacrifice that most fresh architectural graduates are expected to make for their first few working years is increasingly less attractive, especially in comparison with the relatively healthier starting salaries offered by other industries. Also, rapid changes in technology, and even the concept of what design means in an increasingly globalized economy, have started to blur the previously rigid boundaries of what an architect does or can do.

Harvard University. Image: Yu-Jeh Shih via Flickr

In an interview conducted by Architectural Record, DesignIntelligence President and C.E.O. David G. Gilmore noted that "The design world is on a rocket ship of change, yet professionals are left to learn as they go, hoping to catch up and keep up. But that’s a fool’s errand. Unless we stop, disengage from the daily grind for a period, and commit to some form of reorientation and deep-dive learning, we will fall further behind in what is necessary for present relevance. Educators have an opportunity to close the gap with the practicing professionals by designing programs that enable their alumni and others to lead the industry."

Cornell University. Image: Barbara Friedman via Flickr

The rankings are based on interviews conducted with hiring managers at firms, and therefore reflect a pragmatic view of an applicant's chances at landing a job based on their schooling. As Gilmore says, "Why certain schools move up or down in the rankings is not easy to understand. DI will be investigating, but it seems that significant jumps are tied to perception of the program, the faculty, and dynamics of engagement with the alumni. Much upward movement occurs when schools effectively communicate their value to professional practices."